


The Hunter's Gift

by WotanAnubis



Category: Norse Religion & Lore
Genre: F/F, Instinctive Kindness, Original Mythology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:14:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23343802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WotanAnubis/pseuds/WotanAnubis
Summary: In which a hunter comes across a stranger in the woods.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	The Hunter's Gift

The forest was dark and cold. Trees pressed closely together, obscuring the sky. Thorny brambles filled the spaces between, ready to entangle any unwary wanderer and pierce their skin. Few people dared venture into these woods, unless they absolutely had to.

Which was why Sigrid the hunter, to whom these dark woods were a home, was surprised when one day she walked into a familiar glade and saw an unfamiliar woman sitting on a fallen log. She was young, and exceptionally beautiful. Her long dress was of the finest quality and she held an intricately carved box in her lap. No branches had tangled themselves into her exquisite hair and no thorns had torn at her clothes. She smiled vaguely and hummed contently to herself. Even her voice was beautiful.

Sigrid sighed. This had trouble written all over it. But she knew these woods, and they were no place for delicately dressed young women. If she'd just left the woman here, she might be set upon by wolves. Although, part of Sigrid couldn't help but feel that the strangely smiling beauty wouldn't be bothered by wolves.

Sigrid stepped into what passed for light in this obscure forest. The young beauty ceased her humming and watched her. She didn't seem surprised by Sigrid's presence. Didn't seem threatened by her rough appearance. Didn't seem grateful to see another person. At most she seemed... vaguely interested. As though she was idly wondering what Sigrid was going to do next.

"Greetings," Sigrid ventured.

The beautiful young woman nodded a courteous greeting in return.

"You lost?"

"No," the stranger replied, in a melodious voice.

"Well, then, you looking for something?" Sigrid asked.

The young woman appeared to consider this for a moment, as though the question had given her some trouble.

"Not really," she said at last.

Sigrid stood still, wondering what to do next. Every one of her finely honed instincts told her to turn around and run and just not bother with this stranger. But leaving people to fend for themselves in these woods just wasn't in her nature.

"Alright, look, me and... me and this woman I live with, we got a hut pretty close by. If you need something to eat or a place to stay the night, you're welcome to come with me," Sigrid said.

"That's very kind of you," the beautiful stranger said. "I think I'll take you up on your offer."

Sigrid shrugged. To her, the offer hadn't really been about kindness. It was just what she did.

"Alright," she said, "follow me."

The woman rose from the fallen log and, still holding the intricately carved box, walked over to Sigrid, who turned and left the glade. As the stranger drew level with her, Sigrid slowed her step for a just second so she could look at the other woman's back. The rotting log had left no stains on the woman's dress.

* * * * *

Sigrid's hut stood near the wood's edge. Far enough away from civilization that they wouldn't be bothered, but not so far that they didn't get the occasional visitor. It was a crude thing of wood and stone, but it kept out the cold and the rain. Mostly.

"Got a visitor," Sigrid announced when she stepped inside.

Roskva, the hut's only other inhabitant, looked up from her place by the firepit. Her eyes went wide when she saw the beautiful stranger glide into the little hut.

"Oh," she said.

"How charming," the strange woman said, looking around the place with obvious fascination.

"Stumbled across her in the woods," Sigrid said, by way of explanation.

Roskva looked the delicate stranger and her immaculate dress up and down. "Yes, I can see that. Well, anything we can help you with?"

"Sorry?" the young woman said.

"People sometimes come here for a sleeping draught," Roskva said. "Or something to help with headaches."

"Oh, I see," said the stranger. "No, thank you. I don't need any help with that."

"Alright," said Roskva.

Sigrid walked over to the firepit and squatted next to Roskva. "Caught some rabbits," she said. "Better get started on a stew, I think?"

"Yes," said Roskva, eyeing the stranger. "That would probably be best."

* * * * *

Sigrid had half expected the stranger, with her delicate features and refined clothes, to make a fuss when presented with a bowl of rabbit stew and a wooden spoon. Instead, she'd merely thanked them politely and started to eat without complaint.

"You know, it's very odd," said the woman. "I actually hadn't expected to find anyone here."

"How so?" Sigrid asked.

"Well, I've heard it said that these are the most inhospitable woods in all of Midgard," said the woman. "And yet here the two of you are."

"You're not wrong," said Sigrid. "That's why we're here."

"Really? I always thought you... I mean... people need people, don't they?"

"We've got each other," said Sigrid.

"Besides," Roskva added, "people from the nearby villages visit sometimes."

"Only when they want something," Sigrid snorted disdainfully.

"Oh, yes," the stranger sighed. "I know what you're talking about there."

"Really?" Sigrid asked.

Roskva jabbed Sigrid with her elbow. "Don't pry."

"Yes, yes," said the beautiful young woman. "Everybody's always so very glad to see me. But they only come and see me when they want something from me. Every other time, why I might as well not exist for how little the others notice me. Why, this one time I-"

The door to the hut was flung open and young man stormed in. He was quite handsome, although his good looks were marred somewhat by his strangely scarred lips. He immediately turned to Sigrid and Roskva's strange guest.

"Ah, there you are. Why, I've been looking all over for you."

"Oh, it's you," said the young woman. Her voice had gone dull and flat. "I was just talking about you."

The young man smiled, though that smile didn't quite reach his cold and clever eyes. "Yes, and what a wonderful story it would doubtless be. But, alas, we've no time. We really must leave."

"No, thank you. I've not finished my stew yet."

"Your... what?" the man said. "Oh, don't bother with that. You'll have plenty when we get back if, you want. But we really must leave _now_."

Sigrid rose from her seat and placed herself between her guest and the young man. It was a stupid thing to do, and she knew it. But Sigrid was the kind of person who always did what she felt she had to do, stupid or not.

"Our guest doesn't wish to leave yet."

The man stared at her as though he couldn't quite comprehend her presence. Then he looked past her.

"Look," he said, "for some reason, strange and inconceivable as it may seem, some of the others somehow think that I'm in some way responsible for you wandering off on your own. And they'll be very unhappy if I don't come back with you."

"Really?" said the beautiful woman. "I can't imagine why they'd think that. Or, yes, on second thought, perhaps I can."

The handsome young man waved his hands dismissively. "Ancient history. Forgiven and forgotten. But we really, really, must leave now." His face twisted in agony. " _Please?_ "

The woman sighed. "Oh, very well."

"Splendid!" the strange man exclaimed. "Come, away from this wretched hovel, and back to-"

"But before I go..."

The strange young woman rose from her seat, took her beautifully carved box, and opened the lid.

"No!" the young man squeaked. "You mustn't!"

The woman ignored him. "Here, one for each of you," she said, the soft melody returning to her voice. "As thanks for your hospitality, and the stew. It was very nice."

And with that, the slender young woman took two beautiful, golden apples from her box and placed them on the crude table in front of her.

"Alright then," she said to the young man, "I suppose it's time to leave."

The two strangers left quickly, the man somewhat more quickly than the woman. For a while everything was silent in the hut, save for the crackling of the fire. Sigrid and Roskva sat and stared at the gleaming, golden apples.

"Do you know what we have here?" Roskva said at last.

"Pretty sure I do," said Sigrid.

"So what should we do with them?" Roskva asked.

* * * * *

In the very heart of the darkest, coldest wood the world has ever seen stands a tall and beautiful apple tree. Its leaves are always green, and there are always apples growing on its branches. It is said that anyone who eats one of those apples will be healed of all disease.

Near the edge of that forest are the remains of a crude, simple hut. It has been abandoned long ago, the women that once inhabited it simply vanishing one day. What happened to them remains a mystery, although perhaps only because people prefer not to talk about it.

All of this I know because a couple of wandering women told me this story. They way they told it, it was as though they had been there, in that crude hut, in that dark forest, the day it had been visited by that strange woman. But of course they could not have been, because this story took place centuries ago, when the gods still walked the Earth.


End file.
